The Hammer, a Hare and Death: Burdens
Part 1 Early 1017 Lidiya stood facing the massive double doors, it's solid iron bars blocked her road at the door step. She tugged on the rope to the door's right and took a deep and anxious breath as the bell chimed inside. She felt ill as the anxiety was an unusual feeling for her but recent events had tested her godly will. She fidgeted with her coat and took a deep and audible sigh. "Are you sure he will remember you?" She looked to her left at Nex who stood at her side. His face was pale and deep dark bags circled his reddish brown eyes but he held a smile and responded cheerfully, "Trust me. I made this guy look like a god in the arena; no one forgets dealing a thrashing like that." He turned his head and grinned even larger, his youthful figure peeked through on his cleanly shaven face. Lidiya calmed slightly and turned back to the door. "I am still unsure how I feel trusting a man you only met once." She unfastened the strap around her new dagger. "A man you only met once, for ten minutes, four years ago!" She raised her voice slightly to show she was disgruntled but would not dare to risk being truly mad lest she blow an ice pillar through the door. Nex laughed and looked upon the Hammer symbol carved in the door. "Do you see this?" Lidiya's anger grew a little more, "Nex, are you listening? I am not sure of this man." She turned her body to face him; Nex remained facing the door, his face showed the thought of a man deep in memory. He chuckled again and spoke, "I am listening but I am trying ''to prove a point." Nex pointed to the Hammer carving, "Do you see that, that precision? That dedication?" Lidiya turned her head to look at the work. She had not really looked at it closely yet, it was a magnificent carving. "Can you imagine the skill of the warrior capable of this amount of care?" Nex spoke as he turned his body to face hers on the door step. "He takes just as much care in defeating his opponent as he does in carving that door." Nex lifted his shirt and pointed to a scar on the right side of his sternum, "The simple fact that I survived that fight means he will remember me." Lidiya paused in her own moment of quiet reflection. "What if he wont help us?" She was concerned; although Oden, as a nation, was friendly to the 'God's cause' not all shared that belief. ''The Hand of Men occupied this territory and would gladly capture a proclaimed prophetess for any number of reasons, especially a prophetess claiming to be Unquala herself. "Have I ever steered us wrong?" Nex joked. They looked to each other again, Lidiya stared with a stern gaze and Nex paused with a semi-convincing look of innocence. The stare was broke as both cracked smiles and took a moment to laugh at the situation they found themselves in. Nex breathed deep and exhaled with vigor. "Besides...what is the worst that could happen?" The massive double doors swung opened and the smell of the buttered bread of Brill filled their noses... Part 2 November 1015 COMING SOON